15.11.10

Iconography

Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. Ethymologically, the term iconography comes from the Greek εἰκών "image" and γράφειν "to write."

Fernando Gallego, Salvator Mundi, oil, 1485. Museo del Prado, Madrid

Iconographical research is often based on literary sources. Religious images are used to some extent by all major religions, including both Indian and Abrahamic faiths, and often entail highly complex iconography, which reflects centuries of accumulated tradition.

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